Display apparatus for eyewear

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed toward a display apparatus for displaying eyewear. A first embodiment of the present invention comprises a first panel and a pair of apertures in the first panel for receiving temples of eyewear. Each aperture of the pair of apertures has an inner side that is substantially sloped toward the other aperture. A second embodiment of the present invention comprises a first panel, a pair of apertures in the first panel, and a second panel behind at least a portion of the first panel. A portion of the first panel extends in front of the apertures a distance such that when temples of the eyewear are placed in the apertures a hinge portion of the eyewear extends in front of the apertures. A distance between the apertures and the second panel is less then the length of the eyewear displayed in the apparatus. A third embodiment of the present invention comprises a first panel, a pair of two apertures in the first panel, and a second panel. A front portion of the first panel is in contact with a rear facing portion at the front of the eyewear displayed in the display apparatus. The temples of the eyewear are inserted into apertures. A back portion of the second panel is in contact with a rear portion of the temples, and the distance between the front portion and the back portion is less than the length of the eyewear.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/724,013, filed on Oct. 6, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of displays for eyewear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Eyewear such as sunglasses and prescription eyewear are marketed through various outlets. Examples include doctors' offices, shopping mall kiosks and retail stores. A plurality of eyewear may be placed on a display rack for perusal by customers. Ideally, a display rack would be compact, able to display a plurality of eyewear in a secure and attractive manner, and require minimal maintenance. Such a display rack would ideally hold the eyewear securely enough that the eyewear is not easily jostled as to fall out of the display rack, but also so that customers may easily remove, handle and try on the eyewear.

Conventional display racks display eyeglasses with the temples of the eyeglasses folded or open. One style of display rack displays the eyewear in a blister pack which hangs on a rod. This style of display prevents the consumer from trying on the eyewear before purchase. Another style of display rack displays the eyewear on trays. The trays often include material that extends above the center of the tray and provides mechanical support for a nose bridge portion of the eyewear. However, accidental jostling of the display can cause the eyewear to fall out of the display. Yet another style of display rack includes a hook-shaped member for supporting the bridge portion of the eyewear and slots for receiving the temples. This requires that the eyewear is carefully placed on the rack. Another style of conventional display rack omits the bridge support member and, instead, includes a rear panel against which the temples rest. The temples are inserted into a pair of rectangular or elongated oval-shaped slots in a flat front panel and are angled downwardly to rest against a flat rear panel which is parallel to the front panel. A disadvantage of this type of apparatus is that the temple hinges can fold after being inserted into the slots which prevents the customer from easily removing the eyewear from the display. Also, the eyewear may be easily jostled and has a tendency to fall out of the display. To prevent this, the slots may be made very narrow; however, this would limit the variety of eyewear that may be displayed by the display and makes it more difficult for the customer to reinsert the eyewear back into the display after trying them.

Therefore, what is needed is an improved display apparatus for eyewear. It is toward these ends that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a display apparatus for displaying eyewear. A first embodiment of the present invention comprises a first panel and a pair of apertures in the first panel for receiving temples of eyewear. Each aperture of the pair of apertures has an inner side that is substantially sloped toward the other aperture. A second embodiment of the present invention comprises a first panel, a pair of apertures in the first panel, and a second panel behind at least a portion of the first panel. A portion of the first panel extends in front of the apertures a distance such that when temples of the eyewear are placed in the apertures a hinge portion of the eyewear extends in front of the apertures. A distance between the apertures and the second panel is less then the length of the eyewear displayed in the apparatus. A third embodiment of the present invention comprises a first panel, a pair of two apertures in the first panel, and a second panel. A front portion of the first panel is in contact with a rear facing portion at the front of the eyewear displayed in the display apparatus. The temples of the eyewear are inserted into apertures. A back portion of the second panel is in contact with a rear portion of the temples, and the distance between the front portion and the back portion is less than the length of the eyewear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a pair of apertures in the display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-C illustrate front views of alternative apertures in the display apparatus in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of eyewear that may be displayed in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of temples of eyewear that may be displayed in an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective front view of a display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of a display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of a display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a back view of a display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of a display apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective front view of a display apparatus in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is directed towards a display apparatus for eyewear. FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a display apparatus 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The display 100 includes a first panel 102 and a second panel 104. The first panel 102 and the second panel 104 may each be formed from flat pieces of plastic, called blanks. Preferably, the material for each panel 102, 104 is a rigid, polished, transparent, 3 mm thick plastic blank. Other materials, such as metal or cardboard, may also be used to form the blanks. The first panel 102 may be formed from the same or a different material as the second panel 104.

The first panel 102 comprises a substantially flat surface which may be formed from a first blank. The second panel 104 may be formed from a second blank by forming an arc with a radius R from the first blank. The radius R may be measured relative to a central axis 107 that is parallel to the length of the second panel 104 and perpendicular to a horizontal surface upon which the display 100 may be placed. The central axis 107 may lie in a central plane 108 which is centered relative to the width of the second panel 104. In a preferred embodiment, the radius R is approximately 6 inches. However, the radius R may be altered depending upon the size and shape of the eyewear to be displayed. Thus, another radius, such as approximately 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 or more inches, may also be acceptable. Two parallel flanges 109 of a width A may be formed into the second blank. The second panel 104 may be attached to the first panel 102 by tabs formed in the second panel 104 that fit into slots formed in the first panel. Alternatively, the panels 102, 104 may be coupled together by other means, such as screws or adhesive. The second panel 104 may take the shape of a tower.

A plurality of apertures 106 are present in the second panel 104. The apertures are preferably cut from the second blank before the second blank is formed into a radius and the flanges are formed, however, the apertures 106 may be formed between or after these steps. FIG. 2 illustrates a set of two parallel apertures 106 in the display 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The apertures 106 are for receiving temples of a pair of eyewear. Each aperture has a width G and includes an angled inner side 110 that is sloped at an angle F towards the other aperture 106. When the temples of a pair of eyewear are inserted into the apertures 106, the temples preferably rest upon the angled inner sides 110 of each aperture 106. The weight of the eyewear resting on the angled inner sides 110 tends to hold the temples open, inhibiting them from folding closed. Moreover, eyewear of different sizes, having different widths between the temples, can preferably be accommodated since the different widths will cause the temples to rest at various different positions on the inner sides 110. However, at each position, the weight of the eyewear will tend to hold the temples open. The angle F may be 40, 50, 60, 70 or 80 degrees or may take on values between these increments. In a preferred embodiment, the angle F is approximately 45 degrees. The preferred angle may change depending on the shape of the temples of particular eyewear to be displayed, and the width or widths of the eyewear.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner side of the aperture 106 is spaced apart from the first panel 102. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the temples contact the angled inner sides 110 at a location that is a distance D from the first panel 102. As shown in FIG. 1 a distance B separates the locations of contact on the inner sides 110 of the apertures 106. These dimensions can vary.

An outer side of each aperture 106 may be parallel with the central axis 107. Thus, the apertures 106 shown in FIG. 2 are trapezoidal, though this is not necessary. For example, the apertures may be triangular. Additional alternate embodiments of the invention may include alternative shapes. Because the upper and outer portions of the apertures 106 do not tend to contact the temples of the eyewear, variations will not generally interfere with operation of the invention. Also, while the inner sides 110 should be angled, they need not be straight. FIG. 3A-C illustrates alternative embodiments of the apertures 106. FIG. 2 shows a variation on the upper portion of the aperture 106. In addition, the inner side 110 may be a concave, as in FIG. 3B or convex, as in FIG. 3C. For reference, the angle F can be measured at the point that the temple of the eyewear contacts the inner side of the aperture 106.

FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary eyewear 300 that may be held in display 100. A width H of the eyewear 300 is shown in FIG. 4 as a distance between the temples. A distance I between a front inner side of the eyewear and a hinge 303 is also shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 illustrates temple 302 of the eyewear 300 having a length J measured from the hinge to the end of the temple. The temple 302 in this particular example of eyewear 300 is wider at the front portion than at the rear portion and narrows at angle K that varies along the length of temple 302. The invention will accommodate eyewear of other configurations.

The eyewear 300 is inserted into the display 100 by inserting the temples 302 into the two apertures 106. The weight of the eyewear 300 pushes each of the temples 302 down on the angled inner sides of each aperture 106, while the angled inner side of the aperture 106 pushes back on each temple 302. The force against the temple 302 is perpendicular to the angled inner side of the aperture 106. Thus, a portion of the force pushing on the temple 302 is outward, away from the center of the eyewear 300. In other words, the inner angled side of each aperture 106 pushes each temple 302 away from the center of the eyewear 300, tending to cause each temple 302 to remain in an open position.

When the eyewear 300 is inserted into the apertures 106, the temples 302 rest on the inner edges of the apertures 106. In addition, the temples 302 preferably rest against the panel 102. As a result, the eyewear 300 tends to face upwardly and outwardly from the display such that customers viewing the display can view the front of the eyewear, which includes the lenses. This allows the customer to easily discern the styling of the eyewear displayed and differences in styling of various pairs of eyewear that may be displayed in the same display. For this purpose, the depth D is preferably less than the length of temples 302 of the eyewear 300. This limited depth D in combination with the angled inner side of the apertures 106 causes the eyewear 300 to tilt upward. Thus, the depth D of the display 100, in combination with angle F of the inner sides 110 of the apertures 106, tends to control the orientation of the eyewear 300.

The width of the apertures and the distance between the apertures can be selected to ensure that a variety of eyewear 300 with a variety of widths H may be held in the display 100. Thus, the display 100 may be used to hold both large and small eyewear 300. In addition, the angled inner side ensures that the points of support between the eyewear 300 and the aperture 106 is always on the lower inner side of the temple 302 and is pointing upward and away from the center independent of the width H of the eyewear 300.

In addition, dimension E, shown in FIG. 1, from the opening of the aperture 106 to the front of the display 100 is preferably greater than the dimension I, shown in FIG. 3, between the hinge 302 and a back of the browbar. Thus, the hinges 302 are preferably prevented from entering the apertures. This inhibits the temples 302 from folding into the closed position and also avoids the need to provide a separate support member under the nose bridge of the eyewear. In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the hinge and the front the apertures is less than 1 inch or approximately 0.5 inches, though this distance can be less. In a preferred embodiment, the apertures 106 are set back from the front of the display by providing that the panel 106 has an arc of radius R and by placing the apertures 106 along the arc. However, the panel 106 may be provided with a flat front surface in which the apertures are formed. In addition, more complex shapes may be used. The front inner surface of the eyewear 300 may be substantially flat or take the shape of an arc. If the front inner surface of the eyewear 300 is substantially flat or has an arc with a radius greater than R, then a point of contact between the eyewear 300 and the display 100 will tend to be the center of the second panel 104 and the center of the eyewear 300. If the front inner surface of the eyewear 300 can be approximated with an arc with a radius of less than R, then the eyewear 300 will tend to contact the display 100 at two points on either side of the center of the second panel 104. Thus, the radius R of the second panel 104 is preferably greater than twice the width of the largest set of eyewear 300 that will be placed in the display 100.

FIGS. 6-10 illustrate views of a display 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The display 100 of FIGS. 6-10 includes a first panel 102 and two second panels 104. Each second panel 104 includes a series of apertures 106 in which temples 302 of eyewear 300 may be placed so that the eyewear is displayed in two substantially vertical rows.

The first panel 102 (i.e. the rear panel) may be used to display printed material (e.g., marketing information related to the displayed eyewear) by affixing the printed material to the panel 102. If the second panel (or panels) 104 (i.e. the front panel) is/are transparent, the printed material on the rear panel 102 can be viewed though the panel 104. If the first panel 102 is transparent, the printed material may be affixed to the back of the panel 102 such that it can be viewed through the panel 102. Otherwise, the printed material can be printed on the front of the first panel 102.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a display 100. The display 100 of FIG. 11 includes a first panel 102, a second panel 104, and a plurality of hangers 404. The second panel 104 and the plurality of hangers 404 may be attached to the first panel 102 by interlocking tabs and slots, screws or adhesive. Items in blister packs may be placed on the hangers 404 and offered for sale in conjunction with the items placed on the second panel 104. The first panel 102 may be configured to interchangeably accept either a second panel 104, such as shown in FIGS. 6-10 or hangers 404, as shown on FIG. 11. This may be accomplished, for example, by providing the first panel 102 with both a set of slots for accepting tabs of one or more of the second panels 104 and a set of slots for accepting tabs of the hangers 404. Thus, the same first panel 102 may be reconfigurable to have one second panel 104, as in FIG. 1, two or more second panels 104, as in FIGS. 6-10, one or more second panels 104 and one more rows of hangers, as in FIG. 11, or multiple rows of hangers only (without a second panel 104).

The foregoing detailed description of the present invention is provided for the purposes of illustration and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the embodiments disclosed. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. 

1. A display apparatus for displaying eyewear comprising: a first panel; and a pair of apertures in the first panel for receiving temples of eyewear, each aperture of the pair having an inner side that is substantially sloped toward the other aperture.
 2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second panel behind at least a portion of the first panel, a distance between the apertures and the second panel being less than the length of temples of the eyewear.
 3. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the first panel is in contact with the rear facing front portion of the eyewear, and a portion of the second panel is in contact with the rear portion of the temples.
 4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the first panel extends in front of the apertures a distance such that when temples of the eyewear are placed in the apertures and a hinge portion of the eyewear is in front of the apertures.
 5. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the hinge and aperture is less than 1 inch.
 6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slope of the inner side of each aperture is between 40 and 80 degrees.
 7. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of a cross-section of the first panel perpendicular to a central axis is in the shape of an arc.
 8. The display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the arc has a radius of 4 to 8 inches.
 9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first panel comprises clear transparent plastic.
 10. The display apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a second panel behind at least a portion of the first panel, the second panel having printed matter that is viewable through the clear transparent plastic of the first panel.
 11. The display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second panel comprises clear transparent plastic wherein the printed matter is further viewable through the clear transparent plastic of the second panel.
 12. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second panel coupled to the first panel, wherein the second panel is reconfigurable to accept a third panel having apertures for receiving temples of eyewear or a plurality of hangers.
 13. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first panel comprises a plurality of pairs of apertures in the first panel for receiving temples of eyewear, each aperture of each pair having an inner side that is substantially sloped toward the other aperture of the pair.
 14. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein inner sides of the apertures are curved.
 15. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display apparatus does not include nose-bridge support for the eyewear.
 16. A display apparatus for displaying eyewear comprising: a first panel; a pair of apertures in the first panel, wherein a portion of the first panel extends in front of the apertures a distance such that when temples of the eyewear are placed in the apertures a hinge portion of the eyewear extends in front of the apertures, and a second panel behind at least a portion of the first panel, a distance between the apertures and the second panel is less than a length of the eyewear displayed in the apparatus.
 17. The display apparatus according to claim 16, each aperture of the pair of apertures having an inner side that is substantially sloped toward the other aperture.
 18. The display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the slope of the inner side edge of each aperture is between 40 and 80 degrees.
 19. The display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a portion of a cross-section of the first panel perpendicular to a central axis is in the shape of an arc.
 20. The display apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the arc has a radius of 4 to 8 inches.
 21. The display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first panel is made from a clear transparent plastic.
 22. The display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a portion of the first panel is in contact with the rear facing front portion of the eyewear, a portion of the second panel is in contact with the rear portion of the temples, and the distance between the contact area on the first with the plane of the second panel is less than the length of the eyewear.
 23. The display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the distance between the hinge and aperture is less than 1 inch.
 24. A display apparatus for displaying eyewear comprising a first panel having a plurality of pairs of apertures arranged in a vertical row for receiving temples of eyewear to be displayed, the apertures of the pairs having inner sides that are substantially sloped and the display apparatus comprising a second panel behind the first panel, such that when eyewear is inserted into any pair of the apertures, temples of the eyewear contact the second panel and such that the inner sides of the apertures of the first panel inhibit the temples of the eyewear from folding closed.
 25. The display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a portion of a cross-section of the first panel perpendicular to a central axis is in the shape of an arc.
 26. The display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first panel comprises clear transparent plastic.
 27. The display apparatus according to claim 26, the second panel having printed matter that is viewable through the clear transparent plastic of the first panel.
 28. The display apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the second panel comprises clear transparent plastic wherein the printed matter is further viewable through the clear transparent plastic of the second panel.
 29. The display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the second panel is reconfigurable to accept a third panel having apertures for receiving temples of eyewear or a plurality of hangers.
 30. The display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the display apparatus does not include nose-bridge support for the eyewear. 